The run-up...
In March of this year, we drove to Düsseldorf in winter spheres to visit Europe's largest wine fair, ProWein. The ideal place to make new contacts in the wine world.
Once we arrived, we were overwhelmed by the size. There were as many as 16 large halls that housed thousands of wineries. We were only too happy with some arrangements we had made with people to land for a while, including our friends from Sorentberg.
Once we got used to the crowd, we walked to the hall with the nationality we wanted to focus on, Italy. A quarter of that hall was filled entirely by winemakers from the Tuscany region.
In the two days we spent there, we had the honor of meeting two striking winemakers, Lorenzo and Silvio. Both men are true craftsmen with a deep love of winemaking and great respect for their Tuscan roots.
We kept in touch with them and came to an agreement to create this great story.
The Trip
The beginning of September is finally here! Initially we had planned this adventure in the spring, but then suddenly the beautiful story of Provence came along.
Because we seemed to be chronically short of time when making the previous stories, we had decided to travel to Tuscany for a long weekend. And by plane at that. Fair is fair, what a relief compared to sitting folded up in a car for more than 12 hours.
So there we went on Friday, September 1, from Düsseldorf to Florence, returning the following Monday. Enough time to extensively honor our 2 Italian friends with our visit.
See below a brief impression of the trip.
The area
Tuscany
Both wineries we chose for this story are located in Tuscany. Despite being from the same area and both working with the Sangiovese grape, their products differ greatly.
Fattorial'Arco is located about 20 kilometers west of Florence, in the Chianti region. Wines produced in this region must meet certain criteria in order to be sold as "Chianti wine" and therefore receive the highest qualification used Italy: DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita). Among other things, the wine must consist of between 80% & 100% Sangiovese.
The Chianti area consists of several "subzones." The best known subzone is"Chianti Classico" a small area known for the Gallo Nero (black rooster) and stretches between Florence and Siena.
Podere montale is located much further south, in a mountainous landscape south of Siena. Its location is special in that it lies against the municipality of Montalcino, known for its Brunello wine. It is a lot higher than the Chianti region which has a lot of effect on the development of the grapes.
Video Coming Live Soon
l'Arco is located in Vinci, a small medieval village where the famous Leonardo was born. Twenty kilometers west of Florence, a few minutes drive from Empoli, in the heart of the Chianti region. It is owned by the Mitola family with the brother, Lorenzo, being the only one working full-time at the winery. The sisters and mother are also partly active, both in the winery and in the agriturismo (they rent out apartments and give tastings and tours for tourists).
The estate consists of about 200 acres and is situated on very fertile clay soil. Also, the soil contains color variations due to white pumice, tuff and volcanic rock. All these morphological different contribute to create a unique combination of soil.
Much of the harvest is destined for other wineries that produce their wines from it. A special selection they use for their own wines. They work with several grape varieties for:
- Sangiovese
- Canaiolo
- Vermentino (the full cousin of the Rolle from Provence)
- Merlot
- Trebbiano
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Syrah
For this story, we selected the following wine:
Principino Chianti Riserva DOCG
2019 - l'Arco
The flagship wine of owner Lorenzo Mitola, this wine is composed of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo. This combination of grapes delivers a good balance between the fruity and spicy flavors of Sangiovese and the softness of Canaiolo, which is typical of the region.
Harvest story
The grapes are picked by hand with great care, gently destemmed and gently pressed before finding their natural way into stainless steel vats. Alcoholic fermentation develops for 10 days, while the skin maceration continues for another 22 days, all at a constant temperature of 28°C.
After this phase, the wine is transferred to oak barrels, where it undergoes a new phase of fermentation towards the end of November, and there it remains rested and aged for 30 months. After this prolonged period of rest, the wine is returned to stainless steel barrels for a month, followed by another 6 months in bottle to further evolve. Finally, the wine is lightly filtered before bottling.
If you are planning to travel to Tuscany soon, then surely we would recommend spending a night at l'Arco. The setting is magnificent and their estate offers plenty of luxury and space. And while you're there, try their other wines or the sublime olive oil.
Super Tuscan
The popular alternative
"Super Tuscan" is an informal term for high-quality wines from Tuscany, Italy. They are often distinguished by the use of non-traditional grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and are prized for their exceptional quality. These wines break with traditional Italian wine rules and enjoy worldwide esteem.
Because Super Tuscans break conventional rules, they usually do not fall under the DOCG classification, but rather under the IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) classification in Tuscany. This classification indicates that the grapes come from the region and allows for diversity in quality and style among Italian wines.
The story of Podere Montale began in 2014 with Silvio Mendini. From the very beginning, his desire and ambition was to give the farm its own identity that would not be identified with an individual, but with the people who make the farm grow and give life to products of excellence.
Biodiversity is an important theme Podere Montale. They strive to give back to nature what it gives them with every harvest. They do this by applying conservation-oriented farming in the vineyard to maintain a natural balance with the more than 50 acres of surrounding forest. This approach results in minimal impact of farming practices on the environment.
Also at Podere Montale, they work with various grape varieties to arrive at their great products:
- Sangiovese
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Merlot
- Chardonnay
Peposo Tuscany Rosso IGT
2019 - Podere Montale
Sometimes it happens that a wine becomes so deeply intertwined with our identity that
puts goosebumps on our arms. Peposo is one such story that held us in its
grip. Below is the story, told in the words of winemaker Silvio:
"Peposo takes its name from a characteristic dish from Tuscany, one of the region's oldest traditions.
When I moved to Tuscany, I was "adopted," so to speak, by an old master chef named Sergio. For months I dined in his kitchen while he displayed his culinary skills. This man had a sophisticated
palate and was extremely discerning when it came to traditional dishes. One day we got into a heated argument.
It was during a dinner at his restaurant where I was so confident that I wanted to explain the menu to the guests without his help. But to my own embarrassment, I switched the meat used in the dish "Peposo" (wild boar instead of beef!). What a blunder, with a wink! Sergio
stormed out of the kitchen and yelled as if I had committed the greatest crime. Guests were surprised at first, but soon burst out laughing.
As I left the restaurant, I went to Sergio, touched his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "One day I will make an exquisite wine, call it 'Peposo' and put a huge wild boar on the label." He sent me smiling to the house.
When the wine was finally finished, I placed a bottle in front of his
restaurant. The response to the wine was overwhelmingly positive, and Sergio contacted me immediately. I kept myself from selling him this wine for an entire year, purely to tease him."
While the entire village enjoyed this Peposo (knowing
the story), this exceptional Super Tuscan was poured into every
quaint corner of the village.
Stories like this warm our hearts.
Want more technical information about this wine? Podere Montale has summarized it nicely in a tech sheet. Mind you, it's in English, though:
La Casetta Riserva DOCG
2015 - Podere Montale
In the heart of Montecucco, where the sun always shines and the earth is full of stories, there is a wine that listens to the name "La Casetta." The name is a tribute to the little wooden house in which our winemaker once took his first steps into the world of wine.
Amid 5,200 vines, the Sangiovese grape was lovingly picked sometime between Sept. 20 and 30. This gave the wine its vibrant 14% alcohol.
This wine tells the story of Sangiovese in all its glory, with only 4,500 bottles born in the year 2015. But the secret lies in time, as this wine has remarkable aging potential.
When sharing "La Casetta," make sure it gets a pleasant 18-20°C to show off. And preferably use a large glass with a slightly tapered rim so that this wine can fully tell its story.
After more than 24 months in oak barrels, it dances on your taste buds like a well-kept secret.
This is a wine made from 100% Sangiovese grapes.
If you ever find yourself driving through the beautiful mountain scenery in southern Tuscany, be sure to take time to visit Podere Montale. They host great tastings, you can stay overnight, and they even have a restaurant on site. The perfect place to retreat into Tuscan nature.
In Italy, they work with 3 quality categories: PDO (Protected Designation of Origin: DOC & DOCG), IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) & VdT (Vino da Tavola). The wines we offer with this story have either the DOCG or IGT label. See below for a brief explanation of what those labels mean:
DOCG
DOCG stands for "Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita.
The first few DOCGs were introduced in 1980, and today there are still relatively few; only 77 in all of Italy.
A DOCG has strict quality controls, although these can only be compared to the previous DOC status and not to other DOCs. All wines are analyzed and tested by a government-approved panel. Wines bottled under a DOCG must have a status label on the neck.
IGT
IGT stands for "Indicazione Geografica Tipica."
IGTs, established in 1992, were intended to provide a level above basic table wine (VdT) for quality wines that did not meet DOC or DOCG requirements. So-called Super Tuscans are a good example. Today, the IGT classification is home to wines made in a more "international" style, avoiding some of the traditional winemaking methods and grape varietal regulations as set forth in DOCs and DOCG regulations.A wide range of quality and prices is represented and there are currently more than 120 IGTs in Italy.
Tuscany Gold Box
Do you dare for €99?
In addition to the above story and the matching mix box, something else beautiful came our way. This is so special and unique that we can't tell much else about it. Do you have faith that we really have something beautiful in this Tuscany Gold Box? Then order it quickly, because stock is limited!
